Means for controlling the distribution of liquids



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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK A. TITTEMOBE AND CHANLES S. RENWICK, OF RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA, AS- SIGNORS TO HOPKINS SPRAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, 01 SAN FRANCISCO, CALI- FOBNIA, A CORPORATION OF NEVADA.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE DISTRIBUTION 0] LIQUIDS.

Application filed August 26, 1926. Serial No. 181,88.

In liquid applying means such as paint spraying apparatus, it is the present practice, where air alone or paint and air are supplied to the spray gun or hand-piece under pressure, to employ pressure reducing devices in spray lines at or near the tank. For eflicient application of the material at points above the level of the tank these pressure reducing devices must be varied, dependent on the height of the location of the operator above the tank, otherwise the volume of material supplied will gradually increase as the operator approaches the level of the tank. Such practice necessitates an attendant at the tank, or that one of the workmen shut off his gun or hand-piece while he attends to the adjustment of the pressure reducing devices. This practice also entails the construction and use of costly tanks, containing the complicated and intricate pressure redu'cing devices, all of which tend to make the use of pressure paint spraying equipment expensive, due to time and labor consumed in adjusting the pressure regulating devices to maintain a uniform application of material regardless of the elevation the operator is located either above or below the tank, and the capital invested in the tank and regulating valve equipment.

Our present invention relates to improvements in paint spray equipment, and by the employment of which the expensive tanks and pressure reducing devices or apparatus within the lines or at the tank may be eliminated and the same pressure may be maintained in the tank and lines regardless of the elevation the operator is working either above or below the tank.

The invention consists in the provision in the gun or hand-piece, or within convnient reach of the operator, of quickly adjustable means associated with a valve whereby the opening movement of the valve is limited for controlling the maximum air volume discharging from the gun or hand-piece; the quickly adjustable means having associated therewith mechanism for indicating the set position of the quickly adjustable means.

The invention has for its objects to provide a quickly adjustable means in connec tion with the paint gun or hand-piece, and

by the use of which the operator ma quickly I set the hand-piece mechanism so t at when it is operated the volume of fluid and air maybe varled up to the said limit without the necessity of varying the pressure in the tank; to provide a means capable of quick ad ustment from set to full open position and return to indicated set osition to en able the operation of either t e air or paint controlling valves or both, should it be desired to utilize the full tank pressure to free the gun or hand-piece tip of foreign material which may have lodged therein; to provide a quickly adjustable discharge valve controlling structure, preferably in the gun, or hand-piece, the use of which enables the employment of tanks or containers not equipped with adjustable pressure reducing devices between the tank and hand-piece, re-

ducing the cost of paint spray equipment and enabling the use of the apparatus more efiiciently and at a reduced cost due to the overcoming of the necessity of the operator leaving his work to ad'ust the ressure valves or employing an assistant for t is purpose.

While the invention is illustrated in the form of an adjustable 'cam associated with the valve operating trigger to limit the movement of the trigger and cons uently limit the unseating of the valve, an there being associated with the cam an indicator and dial to enable the rapid setting of the cam "to any position, and its return to the exact position after removal therefrom, it is or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. 7 i

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation partly in section of a spray gun or hand-piece illustrating one embodiment of our invention'incorporated therein.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the handle of the gun or hand-piece illustrating the arrangement of the parts associated wit the cam.

Fig. 3 is a view in plan of the cam.

lizig. 4 is a view in plan of'the indicator dis Referring more particularly to the several views of the drawlngs wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts :-1 designates the body of a spray gun or hand-piece provided with a barrel 2 and a pistol grip 3. The barrel is provided with an air channel 4 and a paint channel 5 for connection respectively at 6 and 7 with independent sources of air and paint supplied under pressure. Valves 8 and 9 respectively control the discharge of air and palnt under pressure from the respective channels 4 and 5 through the nozzle tip 10, the pa nt PELSSIIIU' through the orifice 11 and the a1r through orifices 12. The valves are illustrated as being operated by a trigger 13 fulcrumed at 14 and depending in advance of the pistol grip 3.

The above described structure forms the subject matter of our pending applicatlon Serial No. 88,022, filed February 13th, 1926, and while we have illustrated this type of gun or hand-piece, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereto. I

The pistol grip 3 has extended therethrough, in proximity to the trigger 13, a

. rotatable shaft 14 mounting in the space 15 between the pistol grip forming side walls 17 a cam 18 adapted on the rotation of the shaft 14 to project forwardly from the forward edge of the 13. One 0 the side walls 17 is provided with indicator characters 17 with which cooperates a pointer or movable indicator member 19 on the face of a plate 19' secured to the end of shaft 14: to rotate the same. A spring pressed pawl 20 bears against the under side of the plate 19 retaining the plate and cam releasable in their adjusted position.

In operation, the gun or hand-piece 1 with the air under pressure connected therewith at 6 and the paint under pressure to be sprayed connected at 7 is grasped by the operator by the pistol grip 3. The operator then grasps the indicator member 19 and rotates the piston grip in rear of'the trig er when the trigger 13 is pulled to lie in contact with the periphery of the cam 18. These valves 8 and 9 serve as both pressure and volume controlling valves for the air and paint, and thecam 18 limiting the movement of the trigger 13 controls the degree of opening or unseating of the valves. Should the nozzle 11 become clogged or it be desired to admit of the undue opening of valves 8 and 9, the operator rotates the indicator 19 to position the cam 18 to admit of full retraction of the trigger 13, retracts the trigger as desired and then immediately resets the indicator to its previous position, which insures the positioning of the cam as it was previously located. Should the operators work require that he gradually rise above the pressure containers or approach the same from above it is only necessary that in his movement to vary his elevation relative to the tanks that he gradually adjust the indicator to enable the full retraction of the trigger 13 to insure a uniform application of material,

WeA claim 1. spray gun com risin a bod ro- Vided with 9. depending han -grip Iibrliion formed with a recess, said body having liquid and air conduits, valves for controlling the passage of liquid and air therethrough under pressure, means common to both of said valves and operatable for opening the valves, quickly adjustable stop means capable of reception within the said hand-grip recess or projection therefrom for limiting the opening movement of said valves, and an indicator associated with said hand-grip portion and said quickly adjustable means.

2. A spray gun comprising a body porvided with a depending hand-grip portion and having li uid and air conduits, valves for controlling t e passage of liquid and air therethrough under pressure, a single means operatable for opening both of the valves, quickly adjustable means for limiting the opening movements of said valves, and means for indicating the position of said quickly adjustAable means.

3. spra un comprisin abod rovided with epending hand-grip p brliion and having liquid and air conduits, valves for controlling the passage of liquid and air therethrough, means common to and operatable for opening the valves, quickly adjustable means for limiting the opening movements of said valve, opening means and means including a dial and pointer, one associated with said quickly adjustable means for indicating the position of said quickly adjustable means.

4. A spray gun comprising a body formed with a depending hand-gr1p portion and having liquid and air conduits, valves for controlling the passage of liquid and air under pressure through said conduits, a trigger common to and operatable for opening said valves, a cam rotatably mounted within the hand-grip portion with its periphery 5 within the ath of movement of the trigger and adapted for quick adjustment to limit the operative movement thereof, and a dial on the face of the hand-grip rtion and associated with the cam for in ica'ting the position of adjustment thereof.

In testimony whereof we have signed our. names to this figcification. ANK A. TITTEMORE. CHARLES S. RENWICK. 

